William e



(No Model 6. M0 '6 W 9 w 1 a 6 g u A d d e 8 LIU n e u a P 1 Z 8 0 4 n N N PETERS, Pholu-Lilhugrlphcr, Washington. D. C;

UNITED STATES vVILLIAM E. DAVIS, OF RACINE, \VISCONSIN, ASSIGN OR TO & SONS MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

PATENT OFFICE.

THE S. FREEMAN OF SAME PLACE.

STRAW-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,221, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed August 6, 1888.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. DAVIS, of Racine, in the county of Racine, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straw-Cutters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to straw-cutters; and

it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation of one side of a straw-cutter constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a similar view of the opposite side of the machine. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. -l is a detail View of the feed-rollers and shackle and slotted vertical arms that form parts of a straw-cutter constructed according to my invention, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of a ratchet mechanism that also forms part of the machine.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A rep- 2 5 resents the frame, and B the box, of my strawcutter. To braces C, that form part of the frame A, I journal a shackle consisting of a transverse bar D and longitudinal arms E, the latter having studs 1;, that serve as bear- 0 ings for the lower ends of slotted vertical arms F. These slotted vertical arms are preferably provided at their upper ends with lugs c, that work on ways (Z on the sides of the box B. r J ournaled in the upper ends of the slotted 3 5 vertical arms F are the journals 6 of the up per feed-r0ller G; but the journals f of the lower feed-roller II pass through the slots g in said vertical arms and have their bearings on the machine-frame.

Projecting rearward from the transverse bar D, that forms part of the shackle above described, is a tongue D, and supported on this tongue is the forward end of a springboard I, the latter being fulcrumed on a cross- 5 brace h of the machine-frame and held down. in contact therewith by means of a rod 2'. De pending from the bottom of the box B, to pass through the rear end of the spring-board I, is a stem J, and screw-threaded to this stem is a set-nut J, that serves to regulate the tension of said spring-board. The spring-board Serial No. 282,031. (No model.)

I, through the medium of the shackle c011- nected to the slotted vertical arms F, serves to hold the upper feed-roller G down to its work, and it will be readily seen that the pressure of said spring-board is automatically proportioned to the resistance of the stock that passes under said roller; or, in other words, the pressure of the spring-board is at all times equal to the resistance of the stock. The slots g in the vertical arms F permit the latter to move up and down on the journals f of the lower feed-roller H, accordingly as the upper feed-roller G is acted upon by the stock and the pressure of the spring-board, the shackle connecting said arms with the machine-frame acting as a toggle to prevent any restriction of the operation just described.

A driving gear-wheel K is fast on one of the journals f of the lower feed-roller II, and meshes with a pinion L on the knife-cylinder shaft L, and while I have shown a crank M connected to said gear-wheel, it is obvious that a belt-pulley may be substituted therefor, especially on large machines. 7 Fast to the knife-cylinder shaft L on the side of the machine opposite the gear-wheel K is a pinion N in mesh with an idler-pinion O, that has its bearing 011 astudj, projecting from the box B near the forward end of the latter. VVristed to the idler-pinion O is one end of a pitman P, the other end of this pitman being connected by means of, a set-bolt Q to a slotted arm R, that depends from a disk R loose on the adjacent journal of the upper feed-roller. Fast on said journal of the upper feed-roller adjacent to the disk R is another disk S, the latter being provided with an outwardly-projecting flange S, that has ratchet-teeth 7%; upon its inner periphery to 0 engage a gravity-pawl T, the latter being pivoted to said disk R. hen the pitman-P is on its backstroke, the disk R is partially revolved to carry the pawl T back for a new grip with relation to the ratchet-teeth k, and 5 when said pitman makes its forward stroke said pawl causes the disk S and the upper feed-roller G to make a partial revolution, and thereby carry the stock forward to come in the path of the knife-cylinder. By having I00 the pitman P adjustably connected to the arm R, that depends from the disk R, the

throw of said pitman can be readily regulated to move the upper feed-roller G more or less, according to the length of cut the operator may desire to make.

The stroke of the pitman P is so timed. that there is no forward movement of the stock While a cut is being made; but just as soon as this operation is completed the pawl T actu ates the ratchet-disk S and the motion is communicated to the upper feed-roller G to bring a predetermined length of said stock into position for another cut.

Havingthus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.

In a straw cutter, the combination of a shackle j ournaled in the machine-frame, vertical arms pivotally connected to the shackle and slotted to have loose play on the journals of the lower feed-roller, the upper feed-roller journaled to the arms, a spring-board fulerumed on a cross-brace of the machine, a rod arranged to hold the spring-hoard in contact with said cross-brace, a stem depending from the feed-box to pass through the rear end of the spring-board, and a set-nut arranged on the stem to impinge against said springboard, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

WM. E. DAVIS.

Vitnesses:

ANNIE SIMoNsoN, S. S. STOUT. 

